24 - Lean On Me 24th in the Flame Series
by RBGirl
Summary: Matt loses his memory and all hell breaks loose
1. Chapter 1 In Training

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 1**

**In Training**

Matt leaned over the boy, cocooning the small youthful fingers inside of his own. "All right now hold this right here between your thumb and middle finger." The huge powerful hands guided Cooper's grip over the end of the horse shoe.

"Like this?" Cooper could feel his daddy's warm breath on his cheek. The tip of the boy's tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the instructions.

Matt's eyes were drawn from the task at hand to the boy's cheeks. His peaches and cream complexion was far too pretty for a boy. A fact that Kitty had learned not to mention in front of their son. There were moments in a father's life when he couldn't ignore the awesome wonder of his own offspring. When their faces touched and a day's growth of whiskers brushed across the baby soft skin, Matt could feel his heart swell with pride and gratitude.

"Daddy?" Cooper pulled back enough to look into a pair of matching eyes. What he saw caused a grin to bubble up to his lips. He had learned at a young age that it didn't take words to say I love you.

With a wink of confirmation, Matt returned to the lesson. "Yep, just like that. I think you're going to be a natural." He eased back enough to give Cooper room to move. "Now swing your arm back and release the shoe just as it comes forward. Right when your hand is at eye level."

Cooper followed directions and let loose a lofty toss toward the post. The high peak of the pitch kept it from going but a couple of feet. There was far too much disappointment on such a young face when the iron shoe fell with a thud. "I didn't even come close."

Matt gave him a hug before stepping forward to retrieve the shoe. "That was a first class toss for your first try. You just got too much power in that arm."

"Too much power?" Cooper looked up at his Daddy, shielding his eyes from the sun with the side of his hand. "You mean I'm too strong – like you?"

The marshal chuckled as he placed the shoe back in Cooper's fingers. "Exactly like me. Okay, this time, let it go when your arm is straight out."

It took a few tosses before Cooper learned the secret of timing. When to let go and how hard to throw. He was coming closer to the post and even clipping it occasionally but still hadn't claimed a ringer. Dejection still colored his tone. "We're not going to win the contest, are we?"

Matt squatted down, facing his partner. "Hey, don't get so discouraged. We have a couple of weeks before the celebration and look how good you are after just one day."

Cooper shuffled over to retrieve the horse shoes. "If we don't win the father-son games, will you be disappointed in me?"

Matt reached down cupping the boys chin in his hand and forcing his head up. "Cooper, you make me proud every single day just by being you. Now we are entering the competition to have fun. If we win, that will be great but if we don't; we still had a good time together. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The grin returned and he leaned into the long, powerful legs of his father. "I love you daddy." Those three words brought the big man to his knees again for a hug.

**===()()()===**

Tia gave the door a quick rap. The face that appeared was pretty but it was the mischievous grin that captured her boss's attention. "Excuse me Ma'am but there are two men asking to see you."

"Two men?" Kitty laid her glasses on the desk and closed the ledger. "Did they say what they wanted?" She smoothed out her dress as she stood up.

"No. Just asked to see - Miss Russell. "

Her step faltered when she was confronted by a name from the past. "Russell?"

"Uh huh." Tia poked her lips between her teeth to hide the smirk. "The taller one just said it was personal. They're reaaallly good looking."

"Tia!" Kitty's attempt to scold fell flat in lieu of her curious smile. "I'm a married woman."

The blonde hunched her shoulders in a helpless gesture. "Just saying…"

When they reached the dining room, Tia stepped aside, giving Kitty a full view of the gentlemen callers. Standing in the doorway, assuming their most polite pose with hats in hand, stood two very attractive Dillons. She cast a quick glance at the blonde. "You were right. They _are_ ver_y _handsome." She whispered as she passed by.

The taller one let his eyes graze hungrily over her body. "Miss Russell?"

Kitty approached the _men_ in her most professional manner. "Dillon." She corrected. "It's Kitty Dillon now."

"Ahhh." A slight pout tugged at his lips. "**MRS**." He repeated sorrowfully as though his chance at love had been snatched up.

"I understand you gentlemen wanted to see me."

Cooper rolled his eyes, a gesture that clearly matched the accompanying sigh. _Oh, boy_. Being grown up didn't always mean being an adult. He didn't understand these games his parents often played but he could tell, they really enjoyed them.

"Yes ma'am we did."Matt offered his hand to the lady. "I'm Matt Dillon, the marshal here in Dodge." Even after all these years, the fire would flush through her body and her heart would race at the tenderness of his touch. His thumb began a subtle act of seduction as it softly stroked the back of her hand. He smiled in amusement when he saw that familiar spark explode in those brilliant blue eyes.

Kitty cleared her throat as she reluctantly withdrew her hand to maintain her composure. Then she turned her attention to the boy. "This must be your deputy."

Cooper caught the wink his daddy tossed to him. "Yes momm- I mean…yes Mrs. Dillon I'm daddy's deputy." Having played his role in the game, he looked up at the marshal. "Can we eat yet? I'm hungry."

Laughter took the place of longing looks and Kitty leaned down to kiss her son. "Of course we can." She herded them over to their regular table. "What have you two been up to?"

"We've been down by Mr. Grimmick's stable. Daddy's been teaching me how to play horseshoes. We're going to be in the Father/Son contest at the Town Festival."

"And how did you do?"

"Well…I can't hit the post yet but we still have two weeks to practice." Cooper spoke with the confidence his father had instilled in him.

After giving Tia their order, the subject of the festival quickly dominated the conversation. The meal soon came and it looked as though it was going to be a peaceful dinner for the Dillons. That was until Tink Wayford appeared at the front window of the Prairie Rose.

"Marshal! Marshal!" Panic was in every blow that he struck against the plate glass. Kitty watched in horror as the giant sheet vibrated with every smack of Tink's meaty fist. "You gotta come…"

"**Tink!** **Stop pounding on the window**!" Matt tossed his napkin onto his plate and jumped to his feet. "I'm coming!" He leaned over, grabbing his hat from the empty chair. "See you two later."

"Matt…" Kitty's loving pull on his hand wasn't meant to stop him, it was just that need for physical contact. "…Be careful."

His smile was paired with a wink. "Always, baby."


	2. Chapter 2 The Long Branch

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 2**

**The Long Branch**

Matt could hear the ruckus before he was half way to the saloon. The impish smile that had clung to his lips earlier was now nothing more than a hard, narrow line. The sound of gunfire gave him reason to have his gun drawn when he burst through the bat wing doors.

"HOLD ON THERE!" Trained eyes scanned the room, closing in on the obvious threat. "Eubie put down that gun."

Inky black hair that should have been cut and washed a month ago flung out to the sides when the boy whirled around. Worn leather boots supported his sturdy frame. If his mouth didn't get him killed before he reached twenty, he would probably turn a lot of that baby fat into muscle. With his gun still in hand, Eubie shot again, at nothing - or at anything - that got in the way.

"EUBIE – DROP THAT GUN!"

"I aint afraid of you marshal!" He shouted back. Ignoring the marshal was his first mistake, letting the big man ease close was his second. "You can't mak…" Matt's fist slammed into the side of his face. As the boy dropped to the floor, his lungs expelled a rasping breath wrapped up in a grunt.

Matt's gun was on the rim of his scabbard when he caught sight of something moving over by the bar. With lightning speed, the weapon was back and on point. "Stop right there."

Long wiry arms shot up with such force it looked like he was trying to grab a handful of the sun. "I'm not armed marshal." Poke's pale grey eyes darted anxiously between his brother and the marshal.

Courage didn't rank too high in the Culver line but self preservation was at the top of the heap. Poke was a couple of years older than Eubie and slightly brighter. Even if he had been armed, he would never have tried to outdraw Matt Dillon.

Matt put his gun back in the scabbard. "Pete, what happened here?"

"He ran out of money." Pete answered as he up righted the chairs in the middle of the room. His scowl reflected more annoyance than concern. "But he still had a thirst." On his way back to the bar, he gave one of the chairs a shove with his hip to move it closer to the table. "He didn't do much damage; he was too drunk to hit anything."

"A couple of you guys take him down to the jail."

"Jail? What for?" Poke was cursed with a long, gaunt face like his mother. Sadly, he had also inherited her buck teeth and sharp beak nose. When he scowled like he was doing now, his head took on the likeness of a crudely carved Halloween pumpkin. "He didn't hurt nobody."

"Only because he was too drunk to hit anything. Now you better get out of here before I throw you in jail with him."

Poke made sure he was close to the doors when he hurled a warning at the marshal. "Ma won't stand for this. You just wait."

Matt watched the scrawny little coward disappear from sight. "I really wish they would come up with a new threat. That one is sure getting old." He started for the door when Pete called out a legitimate warning.

"Marshal, you best watch out for them. It aint that Josie Culver gives a tinkers damn for either of those boys except as free labor on her place. You start messing with her ranch and you got real problems." Pete grimaced with the thought of her retaliation. "Nothing more dangerous than an angry woman with a gun."

"Yeah, I know." Matt pushed his hat back on his forehead and shook his head with a weary sigh. "Believe me, I know."

**===()()()===**

It had been several hours since Matt kissed his wife and son good bye. Festus and Ned had both volunteered to stay the night with the prisoner but he had turned down both offers. Pete's advice was sound and if one of the Recklan was going to cause trouble then the marshal should be the one to deal with it. He poured another cup of bad coffee and stared out the window overlooking Front Street.

The sun looked like a melting ball oozing brilliant yellow liquid into a burnt orange pool. Even Dodge City looked good under the shadow of such a beautiful sunset. Matt wished Kitty was here to share the view.

He took a second drink and then swished the remainder in the bottom of the stained cup. "If she were here." He mumbled. "She could make me a decent cup of coffee." Matt took a minute to check on his prisoner before returning to his desk.

Eubie had come to long enough to make some threats and puke all over himself. Matt threw a bucket of water on him to dilute the mess but young Mr. Culver would be scrubbing that cell out tomorrow.

Matt had gone through all the new wanted posters and finished the long awaited paperwork. A yawn worked its way to the surface and he stretched his long arms up high over his head. When he looked outside the gorgeous sunset had been swallowed up by darkness. The brilliant colors now replaced by flickering street lamps.

He stood up and walked across the small office to retrieve his hat. The marshal checked in on his sleeping prisoner one more time before making his rounds.

**===()()()===**

Tia was closing out the register while Nettie finished setting the tables for tomorrow's business. She glanced up just as the marshal was coming out of the jail. "I'll bet Miss Kitty hates it when he stays in town."

Nettie issued a snickering sound from the front of the restaurant. "Really! I can't believe they can keep their hands off each other for a whole night."

"Nettie!"

"What? You don't agree?"

Tia's attempt to be indignant was lost in a bout of laughter. "You're just jealous."

"Who in this town isn't?"

"I know…I…what the heck…" Tia's words trailed off as she struggled to understand the scene that was unfolding in front of her. She watched the marshal step out onto the boardwalk. Then a man stepped out of the darkness beside the jail. Tia flinched back with a gasp when she saw the man strike Matt from behind. "Nooo! Stop! Somebody, stop him!"

Nettie was heading back to the supply room when she heard Tia cry out. "What happened? Tia what's wrong?"

Tia bolted through the front door of the restaurant with Nettie hot on her heels. "Help, somebody help." She strained to see the attacker's face as she ran across the street but he was protected by the night. "Nettie get help, the marshal's been hurt."

The man in the shadows struck a final blow at his victim before running away. He turned to flee from the scene just as Tia reached the marshal. Even under the dim glow of the streetlights she could see he was badly hurt.


	3. Chapter 3 Seduction

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 3**

**Seduction**

Calleigh had wormed her way between Newly and his workbench. She relieved him of the tools and then wrapped his arms around her waist. "Your wife - needs attention."

"Yeah and Ben Freedman needs his gun fixed. You know that's why I stayed late. Now, I promised him I would have it ready by tomorrow." His argument was sound but his hands were betraying him as they pulled her willing body closer.

"I seem to recall…" Soft supple lips began to pepper kisses between her words. In an achingly slow pace, they trailed along his jaw. "…That you made…" One long lick behind his ear brought a gasp from the poor gunsmith. "…Certain promises to me."

"Calleigh, sweetheart. If you will just give me a few minutes…" His words couldn't compete with her hands. Even a patient man can only stand so much. Newly pulled her up into his arms and sought out that teasing tongue. Calleigh's arms wrapped tighter around his neck to pull herself even closer.

When their lips finally parted, Newly swept his wife up in his arms and headed to the back room. "Freedman's gonna have to wait." He growled.

Calleigh threw back her head with a laugh that burst into the air. Of all the things he loved about his wife that effervescent sound ranked at the top. Only steps away from a very promising tryst, the sounds of shouting and pounding disrupted their plans.

The young lovers exchanged a woeful look and shared a sigh of regret. Calleigh slipped from his arms just as a terrified Nettie forced her way into the shop. "It's the marshal! He's been hurt!"

The games were over. Calleigh's feet instantly hit the ground. "Where is he?"

"In front of the jail." Nettie answered breathlessly. She didn't panic easily but there had been so much blood and his coloring was so pale. "Tia's with him." She added as she stepped in behind Calleigh.

"Was he shot?" Calleigh was walking so fast that Nettie or Newly had a hard time keeping up.

"No, someone attacked him from behind." She pointed toward the small crowd that had gathered around the marshal. "Thank God you were in town tonight." Any other time she would have been curious as to why they were still at the gun shop but tonight all she felt was gratitude.

Pete looked up in time to see Calleigh coming. "You men step back, let Little Doc through."

Calleigh quickly maneuvered through the crowd. Tia was still setting on the boardwalk with Matt's bloody head in her lap. She had torn off a strip of her petticoat to try to stop the bleeding. The terrified blonde looked up just as Calleigh knelt down beside her. "A man came out from behind the building and struck him with something.' She winced at the sight of his wound when Calleigh lifted the makeshift bandage.

"Pete, can you get a couple of these men to take my dad up to the clinic? And could you send someone out to the ranch for Kitty and Poppy." Volunteers stepped forward and within minutes, they had the big man off the ground and were toting him up the stairs.

**==()()()===**

Festus stood in the doorway of Doc's old office, heart hurting at the sight stretched out in front of him. The door to the back bedroom was open allowing a peek at the exhausted gunsmith and his wife, clinging together in a restless sleep. Doc fought valiantly to stay awake but he finally surrendered to an uncomfortable rest at his desk. The one soul refusing to give in to sleep sat quietly, making no attempt to stop the silent parade of tears that rolled down her cheeks.

Memories took the hill man back to dozens of nights, just like tonight. Matthew laying out cold on that table, felled by some lowlife's bullet or some other form of abuse. Twenty years had brought a lot of changes to Dodge and to the Dillons but the one constant that would never change was the red head sitting vigil beside her man.

Festus stepped as quiet as his jangly spurs would allow until he was close enough to kneel down beside his friend. "Miss Kitty, you need to stop this. Matthew would not want you making yourself sick because of him."

"I'm fine." She lied as she tried to wipe away the evidence with the back of her hand. "Are the children alright?"

"They's sleeping like little logs but Bear's keeping a watchful eye on em."

"I was hoping Matt would…" She paused, trying to swallow the fear that had balled up in her throat. "…would ...that he…" Kitty stopped stumbling over her words and took refuge in the eyes of a loving friend.

Festus could see she was just about to be overtaken by fear and fatigue. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her a place to hide from the pain. "You just cry it all out now, cause we both know that Matthew's gonna be right as rain afore you know it. You two got too much living yet to do. Raising them two youngins and all."

Her tears gradually subsided but Kitty made no attempt to leave the comforting arms.


	4. Chapter 4 Poke Culver

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 4**

**Poke Culver**

Poke pitched his arms above his head, desperate to protect himself from the savage blows that were pummeling him. "I'm sor…ry. Please…don't hit me…no more." His hopeless pleas were littered with tears.

"Look what ya gone and done you stupid fool!" Josie's cruel fingers feverishly slapped and punched at the boy. Hands as rough and hard as the stones she had cleared away from the land offered no mercy to her oldest boy. "What'd ya have to hit him for, why didn't ya shoot him?"

The smell of fear mingling with the boys sweat soured the air in the room. Poke fell to the floor and scurried to the corner like a terrified animal."I didn't want to kill him, Ma." He cried as he rolled himself into a ball. "I just wanted to get Eubie loose and...ow...Ma…stop…please!"

It wasn't worth the effort to lean over so Josie resorted to kicking the boy. "And ya didn't even get your brother out of jail." That thought refreshed her anger and she shot a mighty strong kick into his side. "The law is gonna know it was one of us!"

"Josie, you're gonna kill the boy." Recklan usually didn't interfere when his wife was punishing one of their sons. Truth be known, he was a little afraid of her himself, but she truly was about to do some serious harm. "Poke, did anyone see ya?"

Poke didn't trust the momentary lapse to be the end of the beating. Like a turtle inching its way out of its shell, the stringy blonde hair slowly appeared. "No. After I hit him the first time some woman came runnin outta that restaurant across the street yelling for help but-"

"Thought you said nobody saw ya!"

Fear from his mother's wrath caused him to flinch. "It was dark. She couldn't see my face." Poke waited a minute until he was sure she wasn't going to strike him again. "I kinda panicked and hit him once agin afore she come runnin at us."

Recklan pulled himself up onto his feet and walked over to the stove. He poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Josie on his way back to the table. "Even if they think it was us, they can't prove it." He took a sip of the coffee and quickly sucked in a breath of air to cool the liquid down. "Maybe we'll get lucky and Dillon will die." He settled into a chair at the table. "Poke you better get started on the chores. You'll have to do Eubie's too."

The boy pulled himself up from the floor and skittered carefully around his mother to make his escape out the back door.

Josie stood at the kitchen sink sipping the strong brew Recklan had handed her. She stared at the boy heading to the barn but her thoughts were leading her somewhere else. "If he does die won't that just break them hearts over there at the Lady k."

Recklan could have sworn he saw a smile try to take root in those thin dried lips but there was nothing to cultivate such a gesture. Josie Culver loved only one thing and that was the land she had homesteaded. Recklan had made it clear from the start that he wasn't a farmer or a rancher so with a pair of mules and a dogged sense of determination; she had cleared the land all by herself. Every ounce of energy she had went into making their ranch successful.

Josie had ambition as well as fortitude. Although she knew something as big as the Dillon's ranch was out of reach, she had secretly begun squirreling away money to buy more land. Four thousand dollars rested peacefully in Bodkins' care and besides the banker, she was the only one aware of the small fortune.

Recklan cautiously took another sip, while peering over the rim of the cup at his wife. Whether looking straight on or from the side, she was a truly homely woman. While she had little if any concern on her own appearance, Josie obsessed over every little detail of their home. Inside and out.

"I imagine most of Dodge will be upset. They're kind of like royalty around here." _At least that Dillon woman is gorgeous enough to be royalty_. Recklan figured that thought was best left unsaid.

Apparently it wasn't enough to silence the words; Josie could see the lust in his eyes. "Thinking maybe you would have a chance with the queen bee?" She turned around now leaning against the sink. They weren't a matched set, that much was obvious. Recklan wasn't the type to make girls swoon but he was attractive. "You'll probably have to wait in line. Somehow, she went from being a saloon slut to miss high and mighty in that palace." Traces of sarcasm weaved its way into her tone.

The envy was for the Lady K not the couple living in it. The Culver marriage was just a partnership from the beginning. When they met, Recklan was on the run from a couple of angry brothers and an old man with a shot gun and a pregnant daughter. Josie was just in the beginning stages of homesteading and was living in a campsite. Recklan only planned to stop long enough for a cup of coffee but the evening soon got out of hand.

It wasn't a matter of passion or lies of love. Josie had wanted sex and Recklan was happy to oblige. Despite her looks or lack of them, he found her to be a most enthusiastic lover. By morning, she had damned near worn him out. That's when she made the proposition. All she wanted from him was sex and to keep drifters and bums away. As long as he serviced her regularly, he was free to come and go and sleep with whoever he wanted. By the time those outraged men caught up to him, he had already been churched.

"Nah, she's too dangerous." Recklan speculated. "All them heroes protecting her. Even that mammoth Ollie…Ollie…"

"Bear." Josie offered.

"Yeah. Bear. He watches her like a hawk when the marshal is away."

Josie pushed herself away from the sink and headed to the stove for a refill. "She might even make you one of those _adorable_ babies."

Recklan was hardly what one would call compassionate but he did understand the emotion, while his wife was clueless. When she twisted the word adorable into something foul, it wasn't jealousy but simply an inability to comprehend such maternal desires.

It had soon became obvious that Josie was as fertile as her land. Time after time, she rid her body of unwanted children. It wasn't until Recklan pointed out, that in the future she would be needing extra hands to help run the ranch. It was a valid point causing her to reconsider her options. Josie carried her next two pregnancies to term but then decided that two would be enough.

Josie pushed her coffee cup to the back of the counter. She gave her husband a look that he had come to recognize years ago. Without a word, Recklan got up and followed his wife to the bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5 The Awakening

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 5**

**The Awakening**

It was the morning of the third day, and Matt still had made no attempt to open his eyes and say hello. No amount of talking or pleading could get Kitty to leave his side, so after the first night, Newly and Festus had brought him home in a wagon.

Kitty studied Matt's face more with her heart than with her eyes. When they were young, it would always embarrass him when she would tell him he was beautiful. But he truly was. Skin kissed by the sun to a golden brown; smooth and unmarred as it stretched tight across perfectly sculpted features. Clear blue eyes like pools of water luring her in. And full lips that were born in the shape of a smile but were always tempting her with a kiss.

The years had tried to rob him of that beauty but all they managed to do was perfect it. The smooth skin had accepted the lines of time with dignity. The gathering of wrinkles that pulled at the corner of his eyes couldn't hide the heart that emanated from them.

Kitty relaxed in the rocker Festus had brought in from one of the other bedrooms to make her vigil at his bedside, a little more comfortable. "Twenty years." She whispered. Had it really been that long? A poignant smile kept pace with a bittersweet sigh. The young Miss Russell was two weeks shy of turning eighteen when she stepped off that stage and the handsome lawman was twenty three.

Kitty reached out, taking her husband's hand and cradling it between her own. She would never forget the first time she had sat at his bedside. Not knowing if he would live or die and it was all because of a worthless gunman by the name of Dan Grat. She had watched in horror as he was gunned down and left in the street to die. But he didn't die and he didn't back down from a second confrontation.

That was a pivotal point in their relationship. Six months in Dodge and half of that was spent in the company of Marshal Matt Dillon. Love had come quick, hard and intense. But it wasn't until that day when Kitty realized what he had been trying to tell her. Every day could be their last.

She brought the warm hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to the calloused palm. Two weeks after his encounter with Grat, Matt took her on a picnic to Williger's Pond. That was the first time he made love to her. She knew then that however many days God would give them, she would love this man heart, body and soul.

"Kitty?" Doc tried not to startle her but the gentle hand on her shoulder still caused her to jump. "Why don't you go downstairs and get a cup of coffee? Take a break for a minute."

A nervous quiver at the corner of her mouth was as close to a smile as she could manage. "I want to be here…" Her words stalled when her breath caught in her throat. "I just want to hear his voice. Doc, why won't he wake up? What's wrong with him?"

Doc took the marshal's hand from her to check his pulse. "He got hit pretty hard." The old physician fumbled for an answer because the truth wasn't what she really wanted to hear. "It's just…well we'll just have to wait and see."

Kitty pushed back on the arms of the rocker to force herself to her feet. "It's okay Doc. Calleigh couldn't tell me either." Just when she thought she couldn't shed another tear, a fresh batch would surface. True, Doc didn't have an answer but he had arms to hold his surrogate daughter and he was quick to wrap them around her. Tears spilled down her cheeks while she sobbed into his chest. Doc's words of hope were cut short by a deep, rasping threat.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing with my wife?"

A pair of stunned faces turned together at the sound of the welcomed voice. Kitty broke away from Doc's arms, returning to Matt's side. "Oh, Matt."

Doc brushed away a tear of his own as he watched Kitty cover the lawman's face with kisses. "I figured you were just going to lay there and sleep for three days so I might as well take her."

"Three days! A good doctor would have had me well in two."

Doc tucked his glasses back in his shirt pocket as he headed toward the door. "I'll give you two about five minutes before I give the rest of the family the good news."

Matt turned his attention back to his wife. He brushed the traces of tears away from her cheeks. "I suppose you have been sitting here the whole time." Her silence was all the answer he needed. Tears gathered again, pooling around those sapphire eyes. Before long, screams of joy erupted from downstairs and the sound of footsteps soon followed. There would be time to talk later, but for now, only four words were whispered. "I love you Kitty."


	6. Chapter 6 Ma Culver

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 6**

**Ma Culver**

Josie Culver rode taller in the saddle than most men. Wearing her usual garb of jeans and blue cotton work shirt, she even looked like a man. As usual, there were a few stares, some whispered comments but nothing that interested her. She stopped in front of the jail and climbed down from her horse.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of that O'Brian man sitting at the marshal's desk. _Maybe Dillon did die_. She mused as she tossed the reins over the hitching post. Josie pushed on the wooden door and stepped down into the office.

"You still got my boy locked up back there." It was a female voice but it lacked any feminine qualities. She stood with her long legs braced apart and her right hand rested by her gun.

"Are you his mother? I mean are you Mrs. Culver?" Newly felt obliged to stand in the presence of a lady even though this woman laid no claims to being one. He spotted the holster hanging low on her hip and had begun a mental comparison between this amazon and his own little cowgirl but when his gaze came to rest on the woman's face, he abandoned the challenge with a wince and a grimace. 

She cocked her jaw to one side and studied the deputy with a scrutinizing gaze. "Why? Have ya had a whole line of women walk in here to claim him?" Josie watched the color flush through his cheeks. "Where's Dillon? I heard somebody whacked him pretty good. He die?"

"The Marshal is doing fine." Newly bristled at the glimmer of hope that sprung to life in those cold gray eyes. "Your boy is in the back." He grabbed the keys from the hook and led her to the cell. "Eubie. Your ma is here."

Josie watched her son jump to his feet. "Ma I'm sure glad-"

"Shut up boy." She had an eerie calmness about her that seemed to unnerve the young man. He pressed close to the iron door as he stepped past her to get out of the cell. Newly couldn't help but notice the way Eubie flinched when Josie called his name. She gave a sharp nod toward the cot. "Get your hat."

**===()()()===**

The young woman looked around the kitchen for her siblings. "Where's Coop and Hadley?"

Kitty gave her daughter a quick look as she retrieved the wooden tray from the pantry. "Hadley is down for a nap and Cooper is out in the barn." Again she brushed past Calleigh as she began to build a meal for the wounded man. "I'm trying to get Matt's lunch ready. What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the McLaughlin's place to check on Mavis."

"I was but Poppy was going out that way to see Henry Sipel and he said he would stop and check on Mavis's broken arm." Calleigh leaned over the tray of food, hungrily inhaling the warm aroma of the fresh baked biscuits until she spotted the huge slice of apple pie. "Hey – you made pie?"

"Yes!" Kitty slapped the young hands away before they could reach the pastry. She then reached past the girl to set a steaming bowl in the center of the tray. "And a pot of antelope stew. Help yourself."

"Where's the rest of the pie?" Calleigh's visual search came up empty.

"There isn't any left. I think Festus managed to get one piece but your father ate most of it."

The scowl was waiting for the pouting lips which arrived right on time. "He ate it all! He didn't save me any?"

Kitty tried to hide the smirk but her tone gave her away. "You mean like you usually do to him?"

The little redhead drew back with an indignant huff. She folded her arms across her chest assuming an insolent stance. "You know, with a head wound, he really shouldn't be eating so much sugar."

"Really dear?" Kitty pushed the woman aside as she reached for a freshly poured cup of coffee and proceeded to set it beside the coveted dessert. "I had no idea." With a smile to her daughter, she picked up the tray and paused only momentarily before heading upstairs. "But I guess one more piece won't kill him – will it?" 

Calleigh's slim shoulders slumped in defeat after her failed attempt to wrangle the pie. Hunger was a great motivator and she was set on having a piece of pie. "I'm taking Coop in to town with me."She called after her mother. "I'll bet the Prairie Rose won't be so stingy!"

Matt punched at the pillows forcing them into an acceptable shape and then propped himself up against the headboard. He eased his head back against the cool cotton pillow cases with a contented smile. Whatever Doc had given him to relieve the pain surely was working fine. The sudden outburst of his empty stomach spread through the room like a roaring lion.

"Well! It sounds like I'm just in time." Kitty paused in the doorway, tray in hand, wearing a contented smile. "You're starting to look like the marshal again. How do you feel?" She crossed over to the bed and set the tray on the bedside table.

Matt chuckled and raised his arms to allow her to fold the covers neatly down over his chest. "I think I'm going to live after all." He patted the space between him and the edge of the mattress. "But I sure do get lonely in this great big bed."

Kitty cocked her head in a condescending tilt. "Maybe I can get Bootsie to keep you company." His wife moved his hands aside and placed the tray on the smooth quilted surface. She was careful to tuck the edging under the lip to keeping it level so as not to spill the stew. The steaming cup of coffee took its place on the table beside the bed. "You should thank me for rescuing that dessert from a certain set of sticky fingers."

The first spoonful of stew had already made its way to his mouth. He chewed up enough to let a few words escape. "Oh, honey if one of the kids want it, let em have it. Who was it?" Matt was ready to shove in the next bite when he noticed the strange look spread across his wife's face. "His hand hung idly in the air, brown juice dripping over the bowl of the silver spoon.

She tried to look away, to busy herself by pretending to straighten up the room, but he had seen the expression on her face. Matt let the bite continue its journey but it lay tasteless on his tongue.

He had said something wrong! But what? Even Doc's miracle drug couldn't disguise the fear that was creeping into his body. _Maybe it was Bootsie. Was that a…dog…or…no wait. - it was a toy. It was Hadley's bear. Why was he having so much trouble remembering things? _

Kitty leaned over, cupping his cheek in her cool palm. "Matt, honey are you all right. You're sweating something awful." She disappeared only for a moment and then returned with a wet cloth. Taking care not to spill his lunch, she gently stroked the beads of sweat away. "I'm going to run up to the bunkhouse and have Festus go in to town for Calleigh."

Before she could take that step away from the bed, Matt grabbed her hand to pull her back. "No, don't do that. I'm okay now." He pushed the tray back. "I don't feel very hungry though. Maybe later."

Kitty quickly set the tray on the side table and returned to her husband's side. "I think I should send for Calleigh."

"Honey it was nothing serious and it's all over now." Matt had managed to pull his fear under control enough to put his wife at ease."

"Are you sure. You still look pale."

"Kitty." A quick tug brought the slender fingers to his lips. "You worry too much."

She settled back down on the edge of the bed and leaned over to take advantage of those same lips that had teased her hand. This time, his hand gently cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, warm and sweet, and Matt figured this must be what heaven tasted like.

He leaned over just enough to lie back, bringing her down with him. "Ahh, my little Kitty. I think you're all the medicine I need."

She laughed softly while peppering kisses along his jaw. "I'm your _little Kitty_ now?"

Body and mind were both fighting for control but once again, Matt found himself confused by her words. Before immersing himself again in another sweet kiss, he uttered a question. "Of course." He smiled as he cuddled her closer in his arms. "Or would you rather be my little tiger."

She placed her hand to his chest, a coy smile resting on her lips. "I was kind of used to the name you have used for the past twenty years but…if you want to change it."

Matt could feel his blood turn cold. He tried to smile, to continue making love to his wife but fear had taken the upper hand again. What special name? Matt stared into those clear blue eyes. This gorgeous woman was ready to give herself to him completely. What if he couldn't remember howto make love to her? How to do the things she liked. What if he couldn't perform as he had in the past?

Matt placed his hands on her slender shoulder and gently pushed her back. "Honey, maybe I'm not as ready as I thought."

Surprise openly courted embarrassment as she drew back. It broke his heart to see her struggle with his sudden rejection. "Of…of course…I..." Kitty stammered nervously as she eased off the bed. "Why don't you… get some rest?"

"Yeah, I am kinda tired."

Kitty managed to restrain her tears until she passed through the doorway. In this instance out of sight did not fulfill the adage. She was hardly out of mind. Despite her efforts to put up a good front, Matt could hear her crying. The sound pierced his heart like a thousand tiny daggers.

===()()()===

Eubie rode just far enough behind his ma to be out of reach. That woman had some long arms and muscle that would put a lot of cowboys to shame. "I'm sorry ma." She cast a quiet but vicious glance in his direction. "I…uh…I heard what happened to the Marshal."

Josie pulled back on the reins to slow down her horse. "What exactly did you hear?"

"They figure it was Poke but can't nobody prove it." He edged a little closer. "I thought they was going to hang me just cause I'm his brother. Was it him?"

"Of course it was him. Fool kid was trying to get you out of trouble." The way she stared straight ahead and talked in a hushed tone made it sound as though she wasn't really talking to him at all.

"It was a damned stupid thing you did. You coulda got yourself killed."

Eubie reeled back in the saddle, stunned by her words. His lungs refused to draw in a breath or release one. In all of his eighteen years, she had never once implied any kind of feelings for him or his brother. But now - to realize she cared whether he lived or died.

For a while both boys took to laughing behind her back saying she was colder than a hooker's heart. It stopped being funny when they realized it was true. Pa wasn't exactly one to shower them with affection but he was different from her. He would at least talk to them and sometimes even joke around. His parental devotion never went so far as to save either of them from a beatin or helping out with the chores.

For the first time in his life, she had tossed him a crumb and he was starving for a whole bite. Eubie pulled his horse up close to his mother. "I guess I didn't think about that. I didn't know you-"

"Damned fool! You know that Poke and I can't do all the chores alone. And I'm not paying some stranger to work my land." Her anger drained right down into the fist clenched at the end of that long arm.

Eubie watched the angry woman spurred her horse to get away from her disgusting offspring. Her fist had caught him Right Square in the nose causing the blood to spurt down his shirt. Later, he would convince himself that he wasn't crying it was just a reaction to the blow. But for now, he wiped the tears away with the cuff of his sleeve.


	7. Chapter 7 Something's Wrong

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 7**

**Something's Wrong**

"What are you doing in town?" Calleigh's expression was as puzzling as her tone.

Matt stood in front of the door to his office. "I'm the marshal here."

"I know that." She uttered the words with a trace of sarcasm. "I meant you aren't supposed to be out of bed yet. Doc said two more days and I agreed with him."

The ride into town had given him quite a headache and he certainly didn't feel like arguing with…with…Damn! He couldn't remember his own daughter's name. "I said I was fine."A quick retreat would have worked with anybody else but Calleigh followed him right on in to the jail.

"I thought you said that Ned was going to watch the jail until you felt better."

"He did and now I feel better." Matt picked through the mail, not giving much attention to any piece in particular and then walked over to check the coffee pot. He stared at the old enamel pot for a few seconds and then with a puzzled expression, replaced it on the stove. "Don't you have any other patients to deal with?"

Calleigh stepped up behind him and snatched up the pot. "You want me to make a fresh pot?"

"No that's fine."

"It's no problem." She reached for the bucket to get some water.

"No really." Matt fought the pain that was building along his temple.

"It will just take a min-"

"Damn it Calleigh! I said no."

His deep angry voice brought silence to the room. Matt retreated from her curious blue eyes. "Sorry, I guess I'm still a little on edge."

"Uh huh." Calleigh sat the coffee back on the stove. There was more to it than just being tired but she didn't want to antagonize any further. Maybe Poppy could talk to him. "Promise me you will go home when you get tired."

"Yeah, yeah I'll uh, I'll do that." Matt gratefully accepted the kiss on the cheek and then watched her leave the jail. Once she was out of sight, he turned back to the stove and retrieved the enamel pot again.

The marshal stared at the old piece of cookware as if they had never met before. He opened the lid and peaked down inside. It was a coffee pot, that much he was sure of. The part that not only frightened him but frustrated him was the fact that he simply could not remember how to use it.

**===()()()===**

Kitty finished picking up around the house and headed down to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. The family had scattered for the day. Doc was going to take the kids fishing but it ended up just him and Hadley. Matt had promised Cooper that they would practice tossing horseshoes but then he left for Dodge without the boy. She was glad that Calleigh had ridden into Dodge to talk to him. The fact that he had returned to work so quickly completely irritated the young physician.

Matt's decision to go back to work so soon was as much a surprise to Kitty as to everyone else. He had slipped out of bed before she had awakened and quietly left the house. The truth is, she was surprised that they were able to keep her husband in bed for two whole days once he had regained consciousness.

She stood at the back door, nursing a fresh cup of coffee as she stared into the empty yard. It shamed her to admit that she was about to make love to him in his weakened state. The only thing that stopped her…was Matt. For the first time in their years together, he didn't feel _up to it_. Kitty had nursed him through more wounds than she cared to remember but the one consistent trait in the injured cowboy was his persistent attempts to pull her into bed with him.

_It was more than just rejection, _Kitty thought as she sipped the warm brew. _There was something else. Something she couldn't put her finger on but she had seen in his eyes. Almost like…fear. _

Her blue eyes focused on Leo, Hadley's horsey tricycle, but it was a sightless gaze. Questions along with concerns buzzed around in her head. It just wasn't like the Matt Dillon she had loved for twenty years to be too tired, too sick or too anything to not make love to her.

Calleigh quietly took her place beside her mother. She stared out into the yard, searching for whatever had garnered the silent woman's attention.

"You thinking Leo is going to break and run?"

It was a shriek hiding inside a squeal that erupted from the Queen of the Lady K. Coffee leaped from the shaking cup when Kitty jerked back. Her free hand shot to her chest to support her wild beating heart. "Calleigh for heaven's sake! You scared me half to death."

"Sorry." The apology was genuine despite the youthful grin. "But I did call to you."

Kitty held the messy cup by the tips of her fingers. "I was lost in thought, so to speak."

"I know you're worried about him." Calleigh reached for a towel to wipe up the spilled drink. "But he's healing fine. Despite the fact that he ignored Poppy and my advice."

Kitty waited too long to respond to suit her daughter's suspicion nature. "What's wrong?"

The sigh was too heavy the expression uncertain but she tried to carry it off with a weak excuse. "It's probably just my jittery nerves retaliating from too little sleep." She hurriedly brushed past her daughter. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Calleigh watched her mother attempt to busy herself with some needless cleaning. She thought back to her dad's odd reaction when she offered to make coffee. Granted, she could frustrate him like no one else could but even at her worst, he rarely barked at her like he did today. That was certainly out of character for the cool headed lawman.

She took a couple of steps towards Kitty and attempted to broach the subject again. "Did you notice something that I should know? From a medical standpoint."

Kitty stopped scrubbing the imaginary grease spot but maintained her focus on the cast iron surface. How silly was that going to sound? Complaining because her husband, barely conscious from a serious head wound, didn't want to make love to her. No, it was too ridiculous to even consider speaking aloud. "No. Nothing." She replied and returned to her cleaning.

Whatever her mother had seen, it was obvious she was not going to share with her daughter. That alone was suspicious as the two redheads never kept secrets from each other. Still, Calleigh had to respect Kitty's decision to remain silent.

"I'm going back into town. Cooper had asked me this morning if he could ride in with me." Calleigh turned, heading back to the hall. "Is he in his room?"

"No. He's in the barn brushing Toga down." Kitty finally dropped the pretense of cleaning a spotless stove top. "Matt was supposed to practice horse shoes with him. I guess Cooper is going to hold his dad to the promise even if it's in town."

**===()()()===**

Matt had started his journey to Jonas mercantile for some nails to fix the back door of the jail. It should have been a simple trip but somehow he became disoriented and found himself wandering along River Street. His heart was pounding so loud he didn't hear Louie call to him until the old man reached out and grabbed a bit of his vest.

"Marshal. You all right?"

Matt swallowed hard and forced a wincing smile. "Yeah. I'm fine, I was just thinking. Why don't you walk back to the office with me Louie and tell me how you're doing?" It was doubtful that the aging alcoholic felt the faint trembling of the powerful hand that rested on his frail shoulders.

The marshal desperately tried to follow his escort's ramblings, out of gratitude if nothing else, but his fear of what was happening to him was too overpowering. When they reached the jail, he kindly offered Louie enough money for dinner and a beer.

Matt watched Louie head across the street to the Prairie Rose. He let his gaze wander slowly up one side of the street and down the other. Everything was where it was supposed to be and for the moment his world was back in order. But that quickly changed when he stepped inside the office.

**===()()()===**

"Coop I think you're cheating! How do you keep winning?" Calleigh screwed her lips to one side casting an accusing glance at her opponent.

The innocent giggle the boy possessed would soon give way to puberty but for now it was a precious sound. "No I'm not. Poppy has been—Daddy!" Cooper's eyes lit up and the checker game was abandoned when the marshal walked into the room.

Matt smiled as the boy came running to him. He snatched him up, needing to feel the security of those small arms wrap around his neck. "This is a nice surprise."

Calleigh began to pick up the checkers returning them to the tattered cardboard box on the table. "I have some shopping to do and you…" She set the box in the middle of the red and black board and shot a playful glance at her dad. "…Have a promise to keep."

"A promise?" Matt could feel the fear creeping back.

"Uh huh." Cooper met his father's gaze. "Remember, you promised when you got better we would practice horse shoes."

"Horse shoes?" Matt slowly let the boy slip from his arms. He was hoping that memory would return but for now the game was still a mystery. "Uhm, Cooper I really can't today. I uh, I have some reports."

"Ahh Matt he's been waiting all day." Calleigh rustled the boy's curls.

"I know but-"

"Please Daddy."

"Cooper...I..."

"You promised."

"DAMN IT COOPER! STOP!" Matt watched his son recoil as if he had been physically struck. Those trusting eyes now filled with tears.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Calleigh quickly placed her arm across the boy's chest in a protective gesture and pulled him close.

Matt could no longer face his children. He sought the refuge of his desk as he stomped across the room. "I have a job to do! I can't be playing games all the time. You two need to go home." Hands that had always protected his loved ones now trembled as he fumbled blindly through the stack of papers.

"Coop, you go on down to the gun shop and wait for me." She shook his small shoulders to break the hypnotic spell that had him trapped as he stared at the man behind his Daddy's desk. "Go on now." Calleigh whispered.

Matt braced himself for the backlash that was surely coming his way. Calleigh waited until Cooper had left the room before stepping closer to the desk. "You have never raised your voice to that child let alone cursed at him." Her tone was amazingly calm considering the rage that was brewing inside. "If you are having a problem - tell me! If you don't want to tell me then tell Poppy but for heaven's sake tell someone."

With his head bowed over the stack of wanted posters, Matt stared at the ruthless faces. He wanted to tell her but he was afraid. Even too afraid to trust his own daughter. "You need to go. The boy is waiting for you." Still he refused to look up. "Tell you mother I'll be staying in town for a few nights."


	8. Chapter 8 Misguided Love

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 8**

**Misguided Love**

"What do you mean! He's going to be staying at the jail?!" It wasn't a question as much as an accusation. "Three days ago he was hovering between life and death and NOW he thinks he's going to sleep at that filthy jail! Alone! With no one around if he were to get sick." Kitty slammed the ledger closed and shot up from the chair. Still armed with her fountain pen, the angry redhead used the inky point to jab at the air. Tiny black drops spewed out boldly confirming her words. "Well I think it's time to bring the great Matt Dillon down a peg and remind him that he IS only human."

"Momma, wait!" Calleigh hurried around the corner of the oversized mahogany desk, reaching for her mother. She could feel the tension in the slender forearm under her fingers. "Poppy is going to stay in town." Calleigh ever so gently pushed the lady back down into the desk chair. "Daddy is hiding something and I think he's afraid." She let those words settle over her mother before speaking again. "And I think you noticed something – didn't you."

Kitty was trapped in those intense Dillon eyes, forcing her to admit her suspicions. "Yes I noticed something but it seemed too silly to mention."

"What was it?" Calleigh took a seat on the corner of the desk. She cocked her head to one side, momentarily confused by her mother's evasive behavior. It was the sudden flush of color rising in Kitty's cheeks that offered the answers. "Is this something…of a personal nature? Was he not able to…uhm…?"

"NO. I didn't mean that. He just… didn't seem to want to...to… "She paused again, her voice rife with frustration."Calleigh, he had been so badly injured that I just figured-"

"Badly injured?" Calleigh drew back wearing a stunned expression of her own. "If he only had one breath left in his body, he would use it to make love to you. And you didn't think this was worth mentioning to me?"

"This morning he got very irritated with me." Calleigh's hand went palm up to stop the obvious comment. "I know I do my best to annoy him but he was angry. I could tell he was frustrated about something but he just brushed it off with a headache."

"Maybe he was telling the truth. Surely it's not unusual to have a head ache after such a concussion."

Calleigh ignored the question and continued on. "Coop and I were waiting at the jail for Matt to come back. At first, he seemed genuinely glad to see us, but then, when I mentioned his promise, it was almost like he was afraid. You know how little boys are, Coop began to plead with him and he blew up. Not only did he yell at the boy, but he threw us out of the office."

"Then there really is something wrong." Kitty collapsed back in the chair. He would never speak that harshly to either you or Cooper. Why won't he tell us if something is wrong?"

"I don't know." Calleigh wore the same fearful expression as her mother. "Well, Poppy will be in town. Maybe he can get Daddy to talk."

**===()()()===**

Poke checked all their favorite hiding places searching for his brother. Eubie had been real quiet since his ma brought him home from jail. The bloody nose was a dead giveaway that the mother-son reunion had not gone well. Later that same night, he heard his little brother crying but it would have only embarrassed him to offer any sympathy.

A gunshot echoed from the creek just beyond the corn field. Poke gave the reins a tug and headed toward the sound. Two more shots pierced the quiet summer evening before he reached the muddy banks of the bed.

"Eubie, what are ya doing down here?" The scrawny young man slid down from the old mare. "Ma will kill ya for wasting bullets."

The younger Culver boy stomped over to his home made target. He reached down snatching up the paper circle in his hands and stuck in back onto the low hanging branch. "I'm not wasting em. I'm practicing."

Poke leaned against his horse. "What cha practicing for? You shoot good enough to bring down a deer."

"I don't wanna shoot a deer." Eubie was almost face to face with his brother when he suddenly drew his gun and whipped around, firing at the paper target. "I wanna shoot a man. One man in particular."

Poke abandoned his casual stance and pulled his tall, thin body erect. "Eubie, what kind a crazy idea you got going there? Its Marshal Dillon aint it?" One long bony arm reached out and grabbed a handful of Eubie's shirt. "Why? Just cause he arrested ya."

"No not cause a that." Eubie jerked free of the clinging fingers. "I hear the marshal is having some problems after he got hit. Like maybe he aint as fast as he was before." 

"Even if he's only a half as fast it's still faster than you. Ya don't even got a holster!"

"I can still be fast." Eubie squeezed the pistol back in between his belt and his belly. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and stared down at the matted grass under his boot.

Poke stepped closer, the genuine concern evident in his softer tone. "Ma didn't mean anything when she hit ya. That's just how she is."

Eubie wiped a dirty hand across his eyes, fighting back the tears. "She was shamed but if I was to kill the marshal head on-" Excitement suddenly took over his words. "Not back shooting but a real draw. She would be proud of me then."

The older Culver boy stared into the hopeful eyes of his younger brother. A wistful smile wormed its way around his bucked teeth. "No she won't Eubie. She just aint got it in her."


	9. Chapter 9 Fathers & Sons

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 9**

**Fathers & Sons**

Cooper had heard his mother crying for the past two nights because his daddy didn't come home. It wasn't unusual for the Marshal of Dodge City to be gone hunting down a bad man or delivering one to Hays but that wasn't the reason this time. Cooper wasn't sure what he had done in the jail that day, but whatever it was, was so bad that his daddy didn't want to come home.

He was determined to set things right.

Just as the sun began to peak into the new day, Cooper snuck out of the house and into the barn. It was a struggle, without any help, but finally he managed to get a saddle on Toga. Trying his best not to wake anyone, he led the horse to the split rail fence at the end of the road. By climbing up the chestnut rungs he easily managed to pull himself into the saddle.

Poppy was still staying at the clinic in town, just in case his daddy got sick. Poppy was very old and very smart and he took care of the whole family. Surely he could figure out a way for the boy to make up with his daddy.

**===()()()===**

Josie started barking out orders as soon as the sun came up. The day was already going wrong because she was mad. Without any real proof, she was convinced someone was stealing water from the south pasture. She shouted for the boys to get to work as she mounted her horse and shoved the rifle into the saddle scabbard.

Poke waited until his ma was out of sight before looking for his pa. It would have to be a quick discussion because she had given him an extra long list of chores but it was a necessary talk. He was relieved to see his brother heading to the barn. At least he hadn't left for Dodge yet.

Eubie thought about ignoring the orders she had barked out at them at breakfast. He figured shooting Dillon would make up for not doing the chores. But, after a moment's consideration, he knew how mad she got when her precious farm wasn't tended to. So, he reckoned he could hurry through the work and then shoot the marshal making her doubly impressed.

**===()()()===**

Cooper had never been in Dodge this early in the morning. He was surprised at how quiet and deserted it was. There was hardly anybody on the street. Not wanting to be seen by his daddy, the boy took the back street to Poppy's office.

He slid off his horse and looped the reins over the post. Just in case Poppy was still asleep, Cooper took extra care to be quiet on the steps. As he neared the top, his body froze. His daddy was yelling at Poppy. And Poppy was yelling back.

"Damn it Doc, I came up here because you said you needed to check the wound. I don't need any of your advice!"

"Well you sure are needing somebody's! Why are you living at the jail?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Being stubborn is not gonna win this argument! You tell me what's wrong or so help me I'll be contacting your superiors and tell them you're not fit for duty!"

"So you think you deserve answers!"

"I think you owe me and your family the truth!"

Cooper flinched from the hateful tone coming from the two men he loved. Would Poppy really make his Daddy lose his job? He crouched down below the window on the door.

The silence that overtook the room was even scarier to the boy than the shouting. Then, in a voice so soft he had to strain to hear, his Daddy began to speak.

"I can't remember." Matt confessed.

Cooper had never heard fear in his father's voice before.

"What do you mean…remember what?" That was the kind, compassionate voice that the boy recognized as his Poppy.

"I got lost on Front Street yesterday. I had to latch on to Louie to find my way back to the office. A couple of days ago, I couldn't remember my daughter's name." Matt rubbed his large palm over the back of his neck in a frustrated gesture. "And I'm supposed to teach my son how to throw a horseshoe only I can't remember myself. Doc I was so scared, I yelled at him and Calleigh. I just wanted them to leave so they wouldn't see me like this."

Cooper unfolded his body from the crouched position and tiptoed back down the steps. He didn't want to embarrass his Daddy but somehow, he had to help him.

Unaware that small ears had been listening, the conversation continued. There was no anger left, only years of love between the two men. Doc broke out the bottle of whiskey he kept hidden in his bottom drawer. For medicinal purposes of course.

"Here." He handed a small glass to his patient. "Is that why you're staying in town?"

A pitiful laugh escaped. "I'm afraid I won't remember how to make love to my wife. Pretty funny, huh."

"It's not funny at all but Kitty needs to know. She loves you no matter what." Doc polished off the drink and set the shot glass back on the desk. "I wish you had just told me the truth. It's not uncommon for you to have these little episodes considering how severe the head wound was. You just need to relax because everything will come back in time."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you questioning one of Dodge's finest physicians?" It wasn't much a smile that surfaced on the big man's' face but it did relieve some of the tension. "Yesterday." Doc continued "… after you got lost, didn't things start to come back after a while?"

"Yeah," Matt winced as he traced back the memory. "Once Louie and I got back to the jail, it did. I stood there on the boardwalk for a while watching him walk toward the Long Branch and things started to look familiar again."

"Try and be patient, I know that's not something you're good at but give it a try. In the meantime, I suggest you practice with those horse shoes because you have a very heart broken little boy to make up to."

**===()()()===**

Recklan wasn't very hard to find. Propped up against an elm tree with his hat pulled down just enough to shield him from the morning sun.

"Pa." Poke dropped down on his knees beside the dozing man. "Pa I need to talk to ya

"Poke? Why aint you doing your chores?" Recklan snuggled back against the rough bark. "Your Ma will skin you."

"Pa, I need your help."

Recklan pushed back his hat just enough to peek up at the boy. "I don't do chores boy. You know that. Now get bac-"

"No you don't understand." Poke had actually raised his voice to his father. "It's Eubie. He's going into Dodge to shoot it out with the marshal."

Still not ready to give up his comfortable spot but curious enough to push his hat back on his head for a better view. "Dillon? He's going to have a gunfight with Matt Dillon?" He run his tongue across the piece of side meat still stuck in his tooth since breakfast. "Hmmm. Has he gone addle headed."

Poke felt like his stomach was twisting in knots. He had to get to his chores but he didn't want to see his little brother die. "He's got some fool notion that Ma will be impressed."

That brought a full fledged laugh to the resting man. "Impressed! Poke, that boy has gone over the edge."

"STOP LAUGHIN!" Poke had gone past the point of caring if he upset this man. "I just want you to talk him out of it. We both know, she aint gonna care one way or t'other."

Recklan pushed himself up into a sitting position. He was more stunned than angered at the boy's outburst. "Oh she'll care all right." The dimpled smile was gone along with his playful tone. " Your ma is already sure you'll be going to jail when the marshal comes to arrest you for blindsiden him. If that fool kid gets himself killed she won't have nobody to help."

"Will ya talk to him?"

A doubtful wince pinched the man's face. "Ahh, I don't get involved with you boys. You know that."

"He's going to die! Don't you get it?" Poke knew the man didn't love them but he thought he might at least step in to keep his own son alive. "I'm not asking you to show him any kind of love – just tell him his life is worth more than that."

Recklan pulled himself to his feet. "This whole thing is making me feel real awkward and I don't like that. Poke, ya got no right to put me on the spot like this. Now you go on back and get started on those chores your ma gave ya." He shoved his hat back into place and quickened his step to give himself some distance from the boy.

**===()()()===**

Cooper had led Toga to the alley behind the Prairie Rose. He crept up to the edge of the restaurant to watch his Daddy go back to the jail. From here he could see inside the office. The marshal paced back and forth in front of the two windows for several minutes. Then he picked up something from the table and went out the back door.

The boy quickly ran across the street and slipped along the side wall of the jail. He peeked around the corner of the building. Big blue eyes blinked slowly as he watched the big man try to figure out the correct way to hold the u-shaped hunk of metal. Frustration began to build as the marshal moved the piece awkwardly from hand to hand.

It was more love than courage that brought the small boy out of hiding. Matt uttered a faint gasp when he saw his son. Cooper saw the look of shame flash across his father's face as he came closer.

"Here Daddy." Cooper took the horseshoe and guided the huge thumb and middle finger over the end. "Now just swing your arm back and let go when it comes forward. When it's as high as your eyes."

Blue eyes met, both fearful, both full of love for the other. "I don't care if you can't throw it. I'm proud of you every day just because you're my daddy."

Matt hoisted the boy up into his arms, unashamed of the tears that rolled down his face. "Cooper, I love you son and I am so sorry."

"It's okay daddy." Cooper kissed his father's cheek. "I love you too."


	10. Chapter 10 Matt'sLittle Champion

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Chapter 10**

**Matt's Little Champion**

Laughter replaced tears in the alley behind the jail. With a little practice, Matt recovered his winning toss of the horseshoe. One clang after another sounded as he threw the hefty pieces of metal.

Cooper clapped and cheered with each toss. "I knew you could do it Daddy."

Matt walked over and gathered up the iron shoes. "I would say we make a pretty good team. How about we go across the street and have some breakfast." The hungry smile on the boy's face obviously approved his daddy's suggestion.

"**Hey!**" Newly had to yell louder to be heard over the two Dillons. He made every effort to keep a stern façade but failed miserably. The smile was there to stay. "People are complaining about all the noise back here! What's going on?"

"This boy was just teaching me a lesson." He winked at his son as he led him back toward the jail."We're headed to the Prairie Rose for breakfast. Would you like to join us?"

Newly offered a sheepish grin as he pushed his hat farther back on his head. "That sounds good but I think first somebody needs to let Kitty know that her boy is all right."

Stunned blue eyes gravitated towards each other. Each one uttering only a single word but that word was filled with dread.

"Momma/Kitty."

Newly chuckled at the two errant Dillons. "She figured this is where he was but she sent Wylie into town to make sure."

Cooper looked up at the two men that knew his momma best. "Do you think she's really, really mad?"

"If I know your mother, she's more worried than angry, but I'll talk to her first. Just in case." Matt turned back to his son-in-law. "Newly, will you tell Wylie to go on back to the ranch and tell Kitty that her two boys will be coming home soon."

**===()()()===**

The marshal and his little shadow walked across the street to the Prairie Rose. "I hope they have steak and eggs cause that's your favorite. With those big rolls and lots of butter." He kicked the small rocks aside as he tried to keep in step with his father's long strides. "Oh, and I'll bet you want gravy on it too, huh Daddy."

Matt slowed his pace as he glanced down at his son. It was obvious that the boy was trying to protect his father from another lapse of memory. A big hand cradled the small shoulder as the two reached the boardwalk. "That sounds just like what I'm hungry for. Good thing I brought you along."

He opened the door and stood back to let the boy step inside. The staff of the Prairie Rose was both excited and relieved to see a smile on the big man's face. For two days he had come in to the restaurant only long enough to grab a bite and return to the jail. Aside from a grumbling thank you, there had been no conversation of any kind.

The matching grins on the Dillons brought the girls rushing toward the front door. "Morning Marshal. Cooper." Tia's greeting was exceptionally cheerful as she stepped back, giving Nettie room to escort their customers to their regular table. "Cooper we don't usually see you this early in the morning."

"Me and Daddy have been practicing horseshoes." Cooper climbed up into the chair opposite his father. "We're going to enter the contest at the festival."

Bethany appeared behind her girls with a fresh pot of coffee. "Matt. You're looking good this morning." She reached across the table to pour the steaming brew. "Did I hear you say you were entering the father son contest?"

"Uh huh." Cooper beamed with pride. "In a couple of years Uncle Thad can enter with Bailey."

"Well" Bethany's brows arched high over a smiling face. "Bailey is only six months old, it's going to be a while yet. But I'm sure Thad is looking forward to it." She took a quick look into the dining room and gently prodded the girls. "We do have other customers." She reminded them as she turned back toward the office.

Tia flashed a smile and a wink at the smaller Dillon before heading off to the dining room while Nettie stayed behind to take their order. "The regular for you Marshal?"

Matt looked to his son for approval before answering. "That would be fine Nettie."

**===()()()===**

Poke had made his way back to the barn only to find it deserted. Looked like all the chores were done but both Eubie and his horse were gone. Poke's narrow shoulders slumped as he cursed softly under his breath. "He's gone to town."

Anger pushed ahead of frustration as he readied himself to climb back up on his old mare. Before his foot had time to settle in the stirrup, his gaze fell upon Blaze, his Pa's prize Blue Roan. While he couldn't offer even a moment to save his son, Recklan was absolutely devoted to this thousand pounds of horse flesh. It only took the boy a few minutes to have the precious stallion saddled and was on his way into Dodge.

Poke kicked at the horse's flanks and tore out of the barn. Recklan could go to hell! Years of accepting the emotionally barren life he had been born in to, had finally taken their toll. Through it all, he had somehow managed to hang on to a genuine love for his kid brother. And now he was about to lose him.


	11. Chapter 11 There's Gonna Be A Killin

**Flame Series #25 Lean On Me**

**Chapter 11**

**There's Gonna Be a Killin**

Cooper shoved his napkin inside the collar of his shirt. The tip of his tongue swiped across his upper lip when Nettie set the plate of pancakes in front of him. "Can I stay in town with you for the rest of the day?"

Matt cut off a piece of steak and dipped it in the gravy before popping it in his mouth. He chewed up the morsel and then slid it to the side of his mouth. "Afraid to face your momma?"

"Kind of. I mean, not that she'll yell at me or be mean." The boy hunched his shoulders and scrunched up his small features. "She just looks at me like she's disappointed."

Matt swallowed the meat and chuckled softly. "I know that look son. The thing you have to remember is that she still loves us – even when we've been bad." He turned his attention back to his meal. "But I probably could use an extra deputy today."

A smile of relief settled peacefully on the boys face as he dug into the pile of flapjacks. They shared an easy silence as both devoured the hearty breakfast. Matt had just motioned to Nettie to refill his coffee when he noticed someone tying up a horse in front of the jail.

"Looks like we've got company." He tore off a buttered section of a roll as he watched the man slide down off the swayback horse. A closer look revealed a boy, not a man. It was Eubie Culver.

Matt felt his blood run cold as he watched the boy back into the middle of the street facing the jail. He knew that stance and he knew what was coming next.

Right on cue, the chubby young man began to yell the marshal's name. "Dillon, come on out! I'm callin ya marshal!"

Cooper's head twirled around, first toward the voice in the street and then back to his father. "Daddy?"

Matt tossed his napkin onto the table as he rose from his seat. "It's okay, son. I want you to stay in here with Bethany and the girls."

"But Daddy, what if-"

The marshal's big hand cupped the boy's cheek. "It's all right Cooper. I remember." He left a kiss in the boy's nest of brown curls as he stood. He turned to find Bethany standing behind him.

"I'll take care of him." She stood back to let the marshal pass. "Cooper, honey why don't you come back in the kitchen with me."

Matt stepped out onto the boardwalk in front of the Prairie Rose. "Eubie. What's this all about?"

The Culver boy sucked in a deep breath as he whirled around to face his adversary.

He stared at the legendary lawman that was coming towards him and was suddenly engulfed in the marshal's shadow. Even the sun felt safe hiding behind this giant man. "Sto...stop right there marshal!"

"You don't want to do this son." Matt made no move toward his gun but those giant boots spread apart planting themselves firmly in the dirt. "Why don't you come inside? I'll buy you dinner and we'll talk this over."

Eubie shrugged his shoulders to cast off the encroaching fear. He shook his head casting a clump of tangled black hair to one side. "I'm not your son and we got nuthin to talk over." A determined scowl took command of his round face. "Just commence to shootin."

Matt studied the young boy but all he could see was Case Nubbins. It wasn't much more than a year ago that he was forced to shoot down a seventeen year old boy. All because of an old book. "_Not again_." He vowed silently.

"This has gone far enough. Eubie Culver, you go on home now." For a moment, it looked as though the marshal's booming voice was going to put a halt to the showdown.

**===()()()===**

"Bethany!" Tia peered around the door to the office. Despite the fear clearly evident in her voice, the young girl maintained a professional manner. "Essie Teller fainted. I think she might be having a heart attack."

Bethany glanced at her young charge and back to the frightened face of her best employee. "Cooper. You stay right here and I'll be back as soon as I can." She turned back to the door to follow the blonde. "Where is she?"

Cooper watched the two women disappear back into the dining room to attend to the ailing woman. It was rare that he would purposely disobey an adult but he had to go to his daddy. A small hand slipped around the edge of the door, pushing it open enough to see Bethany giving aid to the elderly lady. He ducked down and slipped past them toward the front of the restaurant. A few of the customers were circled around Essie to offer assistance. Most were lined up along the plate glass at the front of the Prairie Rose, watching the drama unfolding outside.

The boy quickly slipped into the curious crowd of onlookers, working his way to the giant window. Two small palms pressed against the glass, framing a pair of wide frightened eyes.

===()()()===

A broad forearm brushed the sweat from his eyes as he struggled to stay focused on his mission. "I can't go home til I kill ya!"

Matt softened his tone. "Is this just because I arrested you?"

"NO! "It's because-"

"It's because he thinks ma will love him!" A desperate voice cried out from behind the would be gunslinger.

"Go home Poke! This is between me and the marshal." Eubie's grey eyes remained fixed on his target. He clenched his teeth while the fingers on both hands folded into fists.

Matt could see confusion splash across his challenger's face but it was quickly chased away by stubborn determination. The two emotions could be a deadly combination. "I don't know what's going on at your home but this isn't the way to fix your problems. You need to listen to your brother."

Poke edged his way closer to his brother. "She won't care, Eubie. Neither of em will."

"Pa cares." The younger brother still harbored hopes. "He likes us."

"NO – he don't! He wouldn't even cum to town to save your life. We only got each other Eubie!"

Matt could hear the heartbreak in the older brother's voice. He was praying that this would bring an end to the younger Culver boy's plan. "I'm going back inside the restaurant. You two boys need to go on back home."

Poke was still shouting at him, the marshal was leaving and in that split second, Eubie could see his hopes crumbling around him. Panic overtook him and he pulled his gun.

Matt expression took a curious turn when he looked up to see his son pounding on the window screaming his name. As he stepped forward, the sun cast it's brilliance against the glass, altering it to a prism that revealed a desperate young man in the background. Instinct took over and his gun was drawn as he whirled around. Before young Culver could get off a shot, the marshal had fired and brought the boy down.

Cooper fought his way through a sea of legs to escape out the front door. "Daddy!" Two strong arms came down, scooping up his son. The boy wrapped his legs around his father's body and hung on tight. "Daddy, are you all right?"

Matt pressed the boy to his chest. "I'm fine but you shouldn't be out here."

Without releasing the grip on his daddy, Cooper glanced back to the boy lying face down in the dirt. "Is he dead?"

Poke echoed the same words as he scrambled across Front Street. Fears were soon put to rest when the wounded boy uttered an agonizing groan. "He shot me! Poke he shot me!"

"A course he did you idiot." A pair of bony arms rolled the chubby boy over. "You was gonna shoot him!" Poke cast a sheepish grimace up at the lawman. "Thanks for not killing him Marshal."

Matt had kissed his son and sent him back up onto the boardwalk before crossing over to the aspiring gunslinger. It was the eyes of a father, not a lawman, that let his gaze wander over the pathetic pair as he knelt down. "Let me have a look at it."

Eubie winced as the worn shirt was torn away from his bloody shoulder. "Are you gonna hang me?"

"He oughta hang the both of ya!" The angry voice of Recklan Culver took control of the conversation. He slid down from Poke's old mare and stomped across the street. "One's a dumb ass the other a horse thief! Poke, where's Blaze? If any harm has come to that horse, I'll break every bone in your body." Pale blue eyes narrowed, backing up his threats.

"What about him?!" Matt growled as he slowly rose to his feet. With the sun at his back, his massive body was liken to the phoenix rising from the ashes. Despite Recklan's muscular form, the marshal towered over him. "Your boy's been shot!"

Recklan glanced down at his son. "That's none of my affair. I just came for my horse."

Poke's bony arms pulled his brother in closer. Eubie's tears were a result of pain but not from the gunshot. "Blaze is tied up over there."

"Recklan!" Matt's tone was as fierce as his grasp on the man's arm. "What kind of father are you!"

Tension weaved in between the two men, each knowing it would only take a single spark to set them off. Once again, Recklan let his gaze fall upon his offspring. It was a soul searching moment, if one had a soul. Unfortunately, Recklan Culver had found himself unequipped to accomplish the deed. "The kind that knows when it's time to leave." He replied quietly.

There was no law against being a bad father or even abandoning ones children which meant that the marshal was at a loss to take any legal steps. But, Matt was still entitled to his opinion and he felt justified in using the back of his hand to get his point across.

Recklan hit the ground after a single blow. He glared up at the marshal but made no move to pull himself up from the dirt. "This is a family thing! You got no right to but in."

"A FAMILY THING!" The fine hairs on the back of his neck bristled while his fingers balled into giant fists hanging at his side like weights.

The sound of gunfire had brought the town gunsmith running onto the scene. He laid a calming hand to the marshal's forearm along with a reminder. "Matt, Cooper's watching." Those words were probably the only thing that saved Recklan from a well deserved thrashing.

Recklan took advantage of the momentary reprieve. While the marshal's attention was focused on his own son, Recklan pulled himself to his feet and rushed over to the mare. In a hurried motion, the bedroll and saddle was transferred to the prize stallion.

Poke held Eubie closer as the two of them watched their father ready himself to flee. Eubie grabbed his brother's arm and pulled himself up enough to sit up. "Where ya going Pa?"

Recklan gave the cinch a tug. He stared at first one son and then the other. "Most likely you boys will be going to jail. That means there will be no one to work your Ma's precious farm." He adjusted his hat setting it farther back on his head. "I don't cotton much to being around her when she's that angry. It's time for to move on. Good luck to ya boys."

"He's leaving us. Poke-" The throbbing pain in Eubie's shoulder made its presence known in a sudden gasp. "…He's really-"

"Don't never mind Eubie." As he spoke, Poke watched the marshal with his son. He watched the father lift the frightened boy back up into his arms, offering love and comfort. Not once in nineteen years had anyone shown Poke that kind of caring but he knew now, it did exist. "He never was there for us in the first place."

All eyes were on the heartless man as he climbed on his horse and headed out of town. Nothing in his stature as he sat tall and proud in the saddle suggested he was running away. He was just another cowboy leaving Dodge City.

It was a 44-40 bullet that shattered the silence and tore past the small crowd. The copper jacketed cartridge found a home in the back of Recklan Culver. There was barely time for a groan to escape before his lean body lurched forward. Lifeless arms draped around the neck of the blue roan. The stallion took only a few steps before its rider rolled to the ground.

A startled gasp was shared by the onlookers. It took a second to connect the sound to the dead man. Curious eyes darted to the far end of Front Street, searching for the gunman. For the second time, a stunned breath was uttered by the crowd. Josie Culver stood in front of Bodkin's bank, rifle in hand, still aimed at her husband.

In one smooth move, Matt planted his son back on the ground, stepped in front of the boy and pulled his gun. "Throw down the rifle!" His gaze was fixed on the murderous woman, hoping she would drop the gun. "Drop it!" He repeated.

Josie slowly lowered the gun and began her walk toward the lawman. She watched Newly kneel beside her husband. "Is he dead?" The words were not issued from concern, simply a need for confirmation.

Newly shot a look to Matt that was a mixture of disgust and disbelief. He responded to the widow with a nod. Josie pursed her lips and shook her head as though satisfied with a job well done.

Matt cautiously approached the woman. "I'm going to have to take you in." She made no attempt to flee or confront him when he confiscated the rifle. "A couple of you men take him down to Percy's." He motioned to his deputy to come closer. "Take Cooper home. He's seen more than enough for one day."

Josie made no attempt to speak to her sons or even acknowledge them as she walked past them. Her focus was on the dead man lying in the dirt. "When I found his clothes and things gone I figured he had lit out. He knew the boys were likely going to jail leaving me without any help."

"You killed a man for that?" Matt cast a sharp glance at the dead man.

"Nah, I coulda worked around losing those worthless whelps." Josie set her sight on the Blue Roan. "Check his saddle bags. You'll find four thousand dollars in there that belongs to me." Cold gray eyes narrowed, a perfect companion to her tightly pinched lips. "He thought he could steal my money and then just walk away like I was a piece of dirt to be kicked aside."

Her indignant attitude at the injustice of her husband's actions was incomprehensible. Matt couldn't hide his contempt for his prisoner when he nodded toward the jail.


	12. Chapter 12 Mothers

**Flame Series #25 Lean On Me**

**Chapter 12**

**Mothers**

Newly kept a loving eye on the youngster riding next to him. They had reached the Lady K without a word. Their relationship often times enjoyed a quiet ride but the silence on this trip was not one of a comfortable nature. In an amazingly short span of time, the boy had witnessed one man try to kill his father and another shot in the back by his own wife.

A heartfelt smile tugged at the man's lips when he glanced over at the boy. Cooper's hat was pulled down low over his forehead. A known characteristic often practiced by the marshal when he was troubled.

"Cooper, are you alright?"

"Yeah." It wasn't just the long pause that concerned Newly; it was also the heavy sigh.

"You want to talk about it? It's all right to be afraid. Watching someone get shot can be very scary."

Cooper peered up under the brim of his hat. "Yeah, I know …but Newly I've seen men get shot before."

The man with the gentle brown eyes winced at the brutal honesty of the boys words. Not only had Cooper witnessed Weather Mayford murder his own partners, but with his daddy's gun, he had been the one to bring down Strom Medix. "Are you saying you weren't afraid?"

Honest blue eyes responded to the question. "When I saw Eubie try to kill my daddy…I was really scared." A touch of pride worked its way into the boy's confession. "But then he drew his gun and whirled around. Newly he was so fast. Even faster than-" A heavy gulp led to silence. Guilt settled on the small face.

"Than Calleigh?" Newly offered.

"I don't think we need to tell her that – do we?"

Newly struggled to keep a grin from surfacing but he was only partially successful. "No we don't but to be honest, I don't think she would mind a bit. She's pretty proud of him too you know."

"Yeah. She is." The boy's enthusiasm waned as they turned down the road toward the Lady K. "He's a really good daddy isn't he?"

"Yes he is." Newly knew there was more to come but he had to bide his time and let the boy unload his concerns at his own pace.

"He would never run away and leave us would he?"

"Nope." They had reached the hitching post by the front of the house. Newly climbed down but he noticed the boy's reluctance to do the same.

"And Momma…" Cooper looked into those compassionate brown eyes that never judged him.

Newly held up his arms to give the boy a hand down. "Cooper, if you're worried about your mother being upset with you-"

"No, it's not that." He accepted the man's help to climb down from Toga, but made no attempt to go into the house. "I was thinking how lucky I am to have a momma that worries about me." He cocked his head to one side and looked up at Newly. "I wish I hadn't made her worry but I'm glad that she does."

**===()()()===**

Matt walked beside Josie, her long legs matching his giant steps better than any woman ever had. When they reached the jail, she took a casual glance around the small office. "Back through there." He nodded toward the cells.

Since the shooting, she had made no attempt to escape or explain. Nor did she show any sign of remorse. Josie stepped inside the closest cell and took a seat on the cot. The only sound in the room was that of the piece of iron turning the tumblers inside the lock.

"Judge Brooker will be coming through here next week." Matt stepped back from the iron doors letting the key rest in the palm of his other hand. Keeping a woman locked up for a week was going to be awkward at best. "I imagine the coffee is still hot. I can get you a cup."

"Yeah." Much to his surprise, she accepted his offer. Even more surprising was the hint of gratitude. "I'd appreciate that." The grimace that surfaced with the first drink evidenced her second thoughts. "That is probably the worst coffee I've ever had." A single finger looped through the handle while she balanced the cup on the palm of her other hand.

"I would have guessed that fancy wife of yours would make better coffee."

Despite the fact that her tone was flat, the content was enough to irritate the marshal. "**I** made it."

Josie put up a hand and dropped her head in a weary. "Don't get all swelled up. I'm too tired to fight with ya." She took a step back and settled back on the cot. "Nothin matters now."

"How about your boys? Don't they matter at all?"

Josie leaned forward resting her elbows on her long bony knees. "I'll tell you what matters. Land. Good rich dirt that will grow anything you put down. A ranch that you build with your own hands. Years of blood, sweat and tears to produce something fine." Her cold grey eyes glistened. "Something solid. Something that's a part of you."

"But Poke and Eubie-"

"Poke and Eubie are nothing more than lackeys. I'd a been better off just to pay hired hands than the nuisance them boys have been."

"The way you talk about that land, yet you were willing to lose it just to get revenge on Recklan. Your boys won't be in jail long if at all. Then the ranch will be theirs."

Josie rose to her feet and walked over to the bars to hand the cup back. Matt had turned to leave when she spoke again. Only this time, her voice was quiet, soft yet sinister. "Nope. That land, that ranch will never belong to anybody else."

"What?"

"I suspected Recklan had found out about the money and when I realized he was leaving me…" It would never qualify as a smile but it was as close as Josie had ever come. "I knew I was going to kill him and that meant I would lose the ranch so…I set fire to it. The ranch, the crops, even shot all the cows." She stood face to face with the marshal, her long calloused fingers wrapped around the bars. "And if them boys had been inside the house – it would have been perfect."

Her words hit him like a fist in the gut. Matt struggled to breath and fight off the rancid taste melting over his tongue. He watched the casual way she returned to the cot and settled down with her back to the wall.

**====()()()===**

Kitty glanced out of the upstairs window when she heard riders coming. Wylie had eased her fears when he returned from Dodge but she still felt a rush of relief when she caught sight of her son approaching the front hitching post.

Her intent was to come downstairs but when she heard them talking, she stopped at the open window. There had been a shooting in town but her fears were instantly put to rest with Coopers' narrative. Kitty had to smile when she heard her son's excitable utterance at the speed of his father's draw. The smile was matched by a tear when she heard him say he was glad she worried.

With a deep breath and a quick swipe to her eyes, Kitty continued down the stairs to the front door. She walked out onto the verandah just as the boy started up the steps.

Cooper stopped, staring up at the forgiving face of his mother. "Momma I'm sorry I went in to Dodge alone." He rushed into arms ready to absolve him of any wrongdoing. Kitty ushered him over to the porch swing and settled in beside him.

As he began to tell her all about the horseshoes and Daddy fighting with Poppy, things began to fall into place and Kitty was beginning to understand her own problems with Matt. The thought that he felt so alone was heartbreaking. She was so anxious for him come home but the words Newly spoke next told her it was going to be a long wait.

"He's got Josie Culver in jail." Newly hated to be the one to disappoint her. "Kitty, he's going to be staying in town again tonight. But not bec-"

"I know." She drew the boy a little closer. "Not because he wants to but because he felt it was his duty to stay."


	13. Chapter 13 Brothers

**Flame Series #25 Lean On Me**

**Chapter 13**

**Brothers**

Matt stood on the landing outside of Doc's office. He could hear the old physician berating the young Culver boys, Eubie in particular, for pulling such a stupid stunt.

"You're lucky he just winged you. Fool kid."

"Ouch! Ow…ow…ow!" Eubie cried out before the needle had fully punctured the skin. "That hurts!"

"Hold still!" Doc glanced at the other boy but before he could speak, the marshal entered the room drawing everyone's attention. Doc took advantage of the moment to place the first stitch. Eubie grabbed on to Poke's arm to keep from crying.

"How is he Doc?" Matt stepped closer to the patient.

"Nothing serious. It just needs a few stitches."

Poke placed his arm across his brother's shoulder. "Did you put ma in jail?" Matt exchanged a subtle look with Doc before nodding to the young man. "Are you putting us in jail too?"

Again the two men traded a glance. "Well, Poke; I honestly don't know what to do with you two. You both tried to kill me."

"I didn't mean to kill ya." Poke blurted out. "Honest, I was just trying to help my brother." He cast a shameful look at Eubie. "And he didn't really want to kill ya either. He just wanted ma to be proud of him for something."

Eubie had managed not to cry out while Doc finished sewing up the wound but he couldn't hide the tears. "Will they hang ma?"

"I don't know son." Matt's gaze traveled slowly from boy to boy. "Do you have any other family? "

The Culver boys looked to each other as if they had to confer over the answer. Both knew there was no one else. Josie had spoke of her pa a couple of times but not with any kind of affection. Recklan had a brother that was shot and killed in Texas for cheating at cards. Aside from that, no other family had ever been mentioned.

It was Poke that finally answered the marshal's question. "Neither of em ever really talked about family. I guess ma is all we got left. Can I go see her marshal?"

Matt shot a desperate glance at Doc but the boy was way ahead of him. "Well Poke, your ma is upset with all that's happened and-"

"Marshal, I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks. I doubt that Ma is upset at all and I know she don't want to see us but I need to see her. I know she don't care but I want to tell her that Eubie and I …well we're going to be alright. Even if you send us to jail, we're gonna be alright."

Matt looked at Poke, not like a dumb kid but like a young man ready to face the cruel truths of the world. "Sure, Poke. Let's go on over to the jail."

The boy reassured Eubie that he would be back straight away and then followed the marshal down the steps onto Front Street. Matt promised Poke that he would talk to Judge Brooker about sending them to Hal Mantle's work farm.

Poke questioned who would watch the ranch but Matt didn't have the heart to tell him that Josie had destroyed everything. Instead, he talked to him about Mantle's farm. They reached the jail and Matt motioned for him to go on back to the cell.

"I'll heat up the coffee while you talk to your ma." Matt watched the boy disappear into the back room. He opened up the lid and sniffed the remnants in the bottom of the pot. Josie Culver was right. This coffee was disgraceful. He was on his way to the back door to throw out the grounds when Poke reappeared.

The boy was silent. Giant blue eyes opened wide against a white pallet. "Poke?"

Matt's face was caught up in a curious scowl. "What is it?" He was met with more silence and a stone faced young man. The marshal rushed to the back room but it only took one step inside the doorway to see what had upset Poke.

Josie Culver had taken her belt and looped it through the bars on the window and slipped the other end around her neck. If she was going to hang – she would pick the time and the place.


	14. Chapter 14 Love Finds Its Way Home

**Flame Series #25 Lean On Me**

**Chapter 14**

**Love Finds Its Way Home**

Matt quietly closed Doc's door. After making arrangements with Percy Crump, he had accompanied Poke back up to the office to break the news to Eubie. The tragedies of the day had exhausted the Culver brothers both emotionally and physically. The marshal agreed to let them spend the night at the clinic under the old physicians care.

He stood on the landing staring down at the deserted street. _Two people dead_. He thought. _People who were supposed to love and cherish each other._ Matt looked back into the office. Eubie was crying, clinging to his older brother for support. While Poke was doing his best to fight back his own tears.

_Tomorrow_. He decided as he started down the steps. _I'll deal with those boys tomorrow. Right now, I have a family of my own to deal with._

**===()()()===**

Kitty paced back and forth. Each step following the smooth even lines of the gray painted planks on the front porch. Cooper had confided in his mother that he had overheard the argument between his daddy and Poppy. As he was repeating the harsh words that had been exchanged between the two men he loved, the boy burst into tears.

"I thought they didn't love each other anymore." Cooper took comfort in the consoling arms of his mother. Kitty was quick to reassure him that would never happen. She wiped the tears from his clear blue eyes and kissed his cheek.

He went on to explain how he had to help his daddy hold the horseshoes. That led to the dinner which led to the events of the shootings. By that time, the child was exhausted and she had tucked him into bed. Hadley had been put to bed earlier so now Kitty was alone to pace and think.

As she stood on the porch looking out over her prize roses Kitty pondered Cooper's words. He heard his daddy say he couldn't remember. Had she been so relieved that Matt had finally regained consciousness that she refused to acknowledge the signs.

But now, it was slapping her in the face. Kitty slumped against the corner post for support. _He wasn't too tired to make love, he was too scared. Scared that he couldn't perform_. That's why he's been hiding at the jail.

**===()()()===**

Matt was close enough to home that he could see Kitty standing on the porch. My God, she was so beautiful. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him but his body ached to make love to that woman. His biggest fear now was would it be the same Would he still be able to satisfy her?

It was time to find out. He had reached the hitching post. They stared at each other, neither knowing what to say or how to start saying it. Matt finally broke the ice.

"I…uh need to put Buck away."

Kitty responded with an understanding nod.

"Will you be here when I get done?" Again, he was greeted with a nod.

The smell, a mixture of soft leather and animals sweat, clung to the air when Matt threw the heavy saddle over the stand. Buck offered a grateful snort as if happy to be free of the heavy gear. The cowboy chuckled as he pushed the brim of his hat up off his forehead with the pad of his thumb. "Yeah, that's how I feel when I pull off these boots for the night." He continued to unbridle the animal, pausing momentarily to study the long tan face. Eyes that never judged returned his gaze. "Buck, I sure messed up this time. I should have told Kitty from the beginning."

Buck nickered and dropped his head with a gentle bounce. Was he agreeing or simple enjoying the marshal's fingers stroking his face?

"I just felt like the ground was moving underneath me and I couldn't get a good footing. The simplest things…and I just couldn't remember them. Even my daughter's name. It was frightening." Matt brushed the mane away from those giant brown eyes. "You've been a good listener."

"I may not be as good as Buck…" Kitty took that first step inside the barn. "But I'd be willing to try."

Matt's head popped up, his gaze trapped in her loving eyes. He offered that little boy smile. The one that he had handed down to his son but was still able to reclaim when needed. "Baby…I…I…" He winced, unable to put his fears into words.

Kitty rushed to him. She needed to feel those powerful arms around her. His mouth plundered hers in a kiss desperate to prove his love. To regain his confidence in himself. Breathlessly, pulling apart, Matt framed her face within his hands. The rough flesh of his thumbs brushed the tears across her porcelain cheeks. "I love you so much and I was afraid-"

Reaching up on her toes, she silenced his words with a kiss. "Whatever you are afraid of – we will work it out together." Kitty could see the doubt swarming in those clear blue eyes. She led him back to the house. "You must be tired and hungry. Sit down and I'll get you a cup of coffee and something to eat."

Matt grabbed her arm, pulling her back into his embrace. "I really don't want any coffee or…food." This time, his lips teased, nipped tenderly as hers. His tongue dipped into her mouth, savoring the sweet taste, swirling and mating with his.

"I want…" His eyes burned with need. "I want to make love to my wife."

Kitty was caught in those dark, demanding eyes. This was more than a request and she was more than eager to comply.

Matt cradled her head in his hands, tangling his fingers through the silky strands of fire as he pulled her closer. He could so easily lose himself in those brilliant blue eyes. His lips paused only briefly on hers before traveling slowly down her jaw tracing the path with the warm tip of his tongue. A sweet parade of breathless kisses then littered along the slender curve of her neck.

His husky voice had dropped to an even deeper pitch when he whispered again. "You are so beautiful." Words turned into actions as he captured the small, soft lobes between his lips, nipping tenderly at the velvety flesh. The warm, wet sensation of his tongue sent chills through her body as it swept along the curl of her ear. Then he devoted his attention to the soft vulnerable skin behind her earlobe. Nuzzling it first, then licking slowly to relishing the sweetness.

"Mmmm." He murmured. "You taste so good." Matt felt Kitty's body lean into his and her arms encircled his waist for support. The trail of butterfly kisses began again, leading him back to her wanting lips. An exquisite sob escaped her when he left only a hint of a kiss to her mouth. Instead, he tenderly sucked the plump flesh of her lower lip between his teeth, deliciously stroking it with the warm moist tip of his tongue.

On the ride back from town he played it over and over in his mind how he would make love to her. Every moment had been planned out. It would be slow; sensual, and breathtaking. But that was before he actually had her in his arms.

When her lips parted she uttered an unmistakably sensual sigh that sparked the passion neither could ignore. He could deny neither of them any longer. The teasing tongue slipped inside, tangling with hers, savoring the sweet taste that no other woman possessed.

Those images he conjured on the ride home, as erotic as they might be, couldn't compare to the real thing. Matt held her tighter to deepen the kiss but he knew he was no longer in charge. Their lust had taken on a life of its own.

A pair of lungs starving for air finally forced the kiss to an end. His voice was ragged and agonizing with need. "Kitty…I can't…wait…" Words were lost as his lips still grazed her face desperately needing to taste her again.

"I know." Desire ravaged her voice leaving it low and hungry. "Upstairs."

Suddenly, all he could imagine was the thousand steps leading up to their bedroom. Matt's hands slid down her back, cupping her behind and forcing her into his painfully throbbing arousal. "No…" For a moment, he actually considered the kitchen floor but thankfully he found another option. "Doc's room!"

Kitty knew she should object but she was fighting her own demons of desire. His lips captured hers again as they stumbled and staggered down the hall, scattering bits of clothing along the way.

What started out so gentle, so tender had exploded into a frenzied world of passion. This was not going to be a slow, romantic moment. Nothing was going to satisfy either of them now except hard, hot and sweaty.

**===()()()===**

"You know Doc will burn these sheets if he finds out." Kitty said as she snuggled in closer to her lover.

Matt laughed as he adjusted his hold on her. "From what just happened here, he'll burn the whole bed."

Her fingers gently raked down the front of his chest, following the trail of brown curls. "Well Marshal, I have to say I don't think you forgot a single thing. If anything, you threw in a couple of new moves."

"Maybe having to prove myself made me work harder."

He could hear the pouting tone even before she pushed back enough to face him. "You consider this work?"

Matt rose up bracing his elbow against the mattress for support. Kitty was caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze. "I consider it a privilege. I love you Kitten, so much so that sometimes it hurts." His lips closed tenderly over hers. Only this time it was slow and sensual.

Clear blue eyes opened slowly, a satisfied smile spread across her face. "Kitten?"

"The memories are returning." His hand gently slid across her stomach, heading down through the patch of curls. "As a matter of fact, I think another just came to me."


	15. Chapter 15 Epilogue

**Flame Series #25 - Lean On Me**

**Epilogue**

It poked out of the ground straight and rigid. Daring anyone or thing to come close. The young boy stepped up to the line ready to defy the arrogant piece of iron. Eyes narrowed, small fingers grasped the curved piece of iron casting it with just enough pressure to make it fly.

Both the challenger and the big man standing behind him, held their breath as the iron sailed through the air. The pitch was perfect, the flight level until it came to the end of the journey. Gravity pulled at the shoe and it fell with a mighty sound, circling around the iron post.

"I did it! Daddy I did it!" Cooper was swooped up into the marshal's arms and the two whirled around together. "We won!"


End file.
